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The best grammar schools in the UK

By Atom | Jun 29, 2023, 8:05 AM

The best grammar schools in the UK

Are you considering a grammar school for your child?

There are over 160 grammar schools in the UK, with some counties more densely populated with grammar schools than others (Kent alone is home to nearly 40!).

If you're looking to compare grammar schools in your area, it can be difficult to know where to start. We've done the research for you and collated information about the best grammar schools in the UK. Find out which 100 grammar schools have topped the league tables for 2024 and learn how to apply for a place.

What is a grammar school?

A grammar school is a secondary school in the UK that accepts pupils based on their academic ability. Children take an entrance exam known as the 11 plus when they are in Year 6. The children with the highest scores are then eligible for a place at the school in Year 7.

Unlike private schools, grammar schools are state-funded – so there's no cost for parents. Most grammar schools provide high-quality teaching in a range of subjects and offer a great range of facilities for extracurricular activities, such as music and sport.

Getting into a grammar school is meant to be challenging, so competition can be high – particularly in more densely-populated areas such as London.

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The 100 best grammar schools in the UK

The list below ranks grammar schools based on their A level and GCSE results in 2023. This information was published by the Sunday Times in December 2023.

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Find grammar schools near you

The top 10 grammar schools in the UK

1. Wilson's School

Wilson's School Wallington

© yourlocalguardian.co.uk

Wilson's School is an all-boys grammar school with academy status in Sutton, southwest London. It was originally founded by royal charter in Camberwell (South London) in 1615, making it one of the oldest state schools in England. Wilson's School was named 'London Secondary School of the Decade' by the Sunday Times in 2020.

Students at Wilson's School study a wide range of subjects alongside an enrichment programme which aims to widen each boy's personal development. Named 'The Elizabethan', the programme has three strands – political, cultural and public speaking – and prepares students for life in modern Britain.

Entry to Wilson's School

Boys hoping to secure a place in Year 7 will need to take the 11 plus entrance exam while in Year 6. As a Sutton grammar school, Wilson's School uses the Sutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET), after which shortlisted pupils take the school's own English and maths papers.

Wilson's School 11+ guide

2. QE Barnet

Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet

© telegraph.co.uk

QE Barnet (Queen Elizabeth's School) is a boys' London grammar school founded by royal charter in 1573 in Barnet, North London. Students are referred to locally as Elizabethans.

QE Barnet offers an intellectually rigorous academic programme to its students. Boys study traditional and modern subjects alongside enrichment opportunities, which includes lectures from notable guests and 'symposia' – collaborative research events in partnership with academically-strong girls' schools in the area.

Entry to QE Barnet

Applicants to Queen Elizabeth's School sit the 11 plus exam in September of Year 6. Candidates take written papers in English and maths.

QE Barnet 11+ guide

3. The Henrietta Barnett School

The Henrietta Barnett School

© en.wikipedia.org

The Henrietta Barnett School is an all-girls grammar school with academy status in Hampstead Garden Suburb, North London. It was founded in 1911 by Dame Henrietta Barnett, who wished to improve girls' education based on their natural ability rather than family finances.

Henrietta Barnett has been ranked the best girls' grammar school on several occasions, topping the state schools league table for its outstanding academic results (consistently well above the national average). Girls leave Henrietta Barnett for prestigious university destinations including Oxbridge, UCL, King's College London and LSE.

In 2022, The Henrietta Barnett School was awarded the title 'Top Secondary School for Academic Performance' by the Sunday Times.

Entry to The Henrietta Barnett School

Girls hoping to secure a Year 7 place at The Henrietta Barnett School take a two-stage 11 plus test. The first test involves verbal and numerical ability papers, after which shortlisted candidates take English and maths tests set by the school.

The Henrietta Barnett School 11+ guide

4. Pate's Grammar School

Pate's Grammar School

© patesgs.org

Pate's Grammar School is a mixed-sex school with academy status founded in 1574 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. In 2020, it was named the Sunday Times ‘State Secondary School of the Year’ and was awarded the title 'The Southwest Secondary School of the Year' in both 2017 and 2022.

The Pate's school community has a shared vision of 'Nurturing Excellence' through 'Embracing Challenge', 'Supporting Each Other' and 'Shaping the Future'. The school is proud of its exceptional pastoral care of both students and staff and outlines its focus on relationships and respect, rather than rules, in its 2025 vision.

Entry to Pate's Grammar School

Students hoping to join Pate's Grammar School in Year 7 will take the Gloucestershire Grammar Schools Test in Year 6. Candidates take two papers which include questions in reading comprehension, vocabulary, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths.

Pate's Grammar School 11+ guide

5. St Olave's Grammar School

St Olave's Grammar School

© tes.com

St Olave's Grammar School is a selective state school for boys with a mixed sixth form in Orpington, southeast London. It was founded by royal charter in 1571 and is a beneficiary of the St Olave's and St Saviour's Schools Foundation.

'Olavians' (the name given to pupils at St Olave's) have high aspirations and leave the school for prestigious universities in the UK and beyond. In the last four years, 130 Olavians have secured Oxbridge places, with 102 and 171 boys going on to study engineering and medicine respectively.

Entry to St Olave's Grammar School

Boys applying to St Olave's Grammar School for Year 7 entry take the school's own Selective Eligibility Test (SET) in the September of Year 6. This consists of questions in English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Candidates are then shortlisted for second-stage tests in English and maths.

St Olave's Grammar School 11+ guide

6. Colchester Royal Grammar School

Colchester Royal Grammar School

© academicadvisors.com

Colchester Royal Grammar School is a boys' grammar school in the city of Colchester, Essex. It was founded in 1206, making it one of the oldest schools in the country, and was granted Royal Charters from both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Unusually for state schools, boarding is available for sixth formers.

In 2022, The Sunday Times named Colchester Royal Grammar School the East Anglia State School of the Decade. The school is praised for its impressive facilities, exam results, and extensive extracurricular programme.

Entry to Colchester Royal Grammar School

Boys applying for Year 7 entry to Colchester Royal Grammar School take the CSSE 11 plus exam. There are two written papers – both set by the Consortium of Selective Schools in Essex – which assess English and maths.

Colchester Royal Grammar School 11+ guide

7. The Tiffin Girls' School

Tiffin Girls' School

© tiffingirls.org

The Tiffin Girls' School is an all-girls selective school in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London. It is the sister school to the boys-only Tiffin School, which was established in the 17th century.

The school's vision is to provide 'an intellectually stimulating and outward-facing school, enabling students to flourish and contribute to society.' The Tiffin Girls' School excels in its provision of community outreach and charitable initiatives and in 2016, the school was a local winner of the Pupil Premium Awards due to its attainment and value-added progress of disadvantaged students.

Entry to The Tiffin Girls' School

Girls who are hoping to secure a place in Year 7 at The Tiffin Girls' School take a two-stage entrance exam in the year before entry. The first stage consists of English and maths tests set by GL Assessment and the second stage consists of English and maths papers written by the school.

The Tiffin Girls' School 11+ guide

8. Reading School

Reading School

© readingchronicle.co.uk

Reading School was founded in 1125 and is one of the country's oldest and most prestigious grammar schools. Unusually for a state school, it offers boarding at approximately one third of the cost of private school boarding.

Students at Reading School consistently achieve excellent exam results. In 2017, the Sunday Times named the school 'Southeast Secondary School of the Year'.

Entry to Reading School

Boys applying for Year 7 entry to Reading School take an 11 plus exam set by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE) in September in Year 6. The exam consists of three separate papers: English, maths, and creative writing.

Reading School 11+ guide

9. King Edward VI School, Stratford

King Edward VI School, Stratford-upon-Avon

© birminghammail.co.uk

King Edward VI School is a boys' grammar school in Stratford-upon-Avon. It was founded in 1295 and was attended by William Shakespeare in the 1570s, leading to the school's reputation as 'Shakespeare's School'.

Children who attend KES have lots of opportunities to build new skills and discover new interests. Sport, music and drama are all thriving, and pupils are frequently successful in national and international competitions. Students go on to top universities in the UK, including Oxbridge and Russell group universities.

Entry to King Edward VI School

Boys applying for Year 7 entry to KES take the West Midlands Grammar Schools 11 plus in September in Year 6. This consists of two one-hour papers which are divided into smaller, individually-timed sections. They test English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning.

King Edward VI School 11+ guide

10. Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

© aggs.bright-futures.co.uk

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (commonly abbreviated as AGGS) is a girls' grammar school in Bowdon, Greater Manchester and was awarded the title 'Northwest Secondary School of the Year' in 2022 by the Sunday Times. It was established in 1910 as part of the 1902 Education Act, which aimed to build new schools with enhanced education for girls. With over 1,300 students on roll, it is the largest single-sex grammar school in England.

AGGS was one of the first schools in the country to be designated a National Teaching School, and it leads in many subjects including maths, science, PSHE and modern foreign languages. The school is a member of the Bright Futures Educational Trust.

Entry to Altrincham Grammar School for Girls

Girls hoping to secure a place in Year 7 at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls take entrance exams which assess skills in verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning and maths.

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls 11+ guide

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